HP Wi-Fi Direct Mobile Mouse review

A wireless mouse that uses your Wi-Fi network rather than USBs or Bluetooth

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Our Verdict

A good idea for freeing up USB ports, but it pulls it off with a few hiccups

For

Interesting use of Wi-Fi tech

Frees up USB port

Excellent range

Good battery life

Against

Compatibility problems

Requires a Microsoft-certified wireless networking card

Not compatible with Windows XP or Macs

Unlike most wireless mice that connect to computers via a USB dongle, or even via Bluetooth, the HP Wi-Fi Direct Mobile Mouse connects to a computer via its wireless network card. That might seem like a bit of an odd choice, but it does make some sense.

Laptops often don't come with a surplus of USB ports, and older laptops – and even some new ones – don't have Bluetooth connectivity. Being able to connect to a wireless network is much more common, so using that technology for the HP Wi-Fi Direct Mobile Mouse is a good idea, on paper.

In practise, the HP Wi-Fi Direct Mobile Mouse's unique way of connecting does throw up a few more problems than standard wireless mice encounter.

Not all wireless cards are supported, and it works best with Windows 7, while Windows XP and OS X – the Apple Mac operating systems – are not supported.

HP includes a set-up CD that walked us through the set up process, and once connected we were impressed with the performance and range of the mouse – up to around 30 feet. It also felt compact yet comfortable to use, and the billed battery life was very decent, at around nine months.

It's a good idea for computers where USB ports are at a premium, but it's far from perfect, and the compatibility problems could make you wish you had gone for a simpler, plug-and-play USB wireless mouse.